Black Thunder – Pistachio
My biggest gripe with Black Thunder is portion size. I like to think a big part of this issue is just the fact that I’m from the west, where portion sizes are generally bigger. For better or worse, that makes me want more when it comes to food and that is a stark contrast to Asian snacks that tend to be smaller in size and portions. I attribute this to the size comparative that we have vs. them on average. Obviously there’s other factors but portion size is a big one.
I guess in a way it’s a good thing because if Black Thunder came in bulk, I would definitely feel less of a glutton for having more than their comparatively small sizes, and I’d be in a much worse position diet wise. Got to find the silver lining in everything, you know?
This bag comes with 7 mini square pieces. Each of these bites is an almost perfectly cubed shape, enrobed in a protective outer chocolate shell. It’s not what I would consider laying it on thick, as you can somewhat see the inner parts sticking out and some of that colour comes through. Black Thunder typically gets a light coating and it doesn’t tend to take away from the star of the show that comes in the form of the biscuit or cookie within.
The texture of these is different from the usual Black Thunder – the texture is actually quite smooth and almost buttery on the inside, a far cry from the usually super crunchy texture that I expect from them. It’s a refreshing change up, and compliments the very smooth, almost subdued flavour of the pistachio nut. There are tiny bits of cookie and nuts, but pistachios are usually a softer nut, and the cookie itself seems softer than usual. It’s not a crunchy piece and more along the lines of a butter cookie with nuts. It’s different, but in a good way.
The flavour is also very smooth and has an almost buttery quality to it, similar to what you would think of avocados I guess? Either way these are very mild and don’t leave much of an after taste so that’s good. Pistachios in general have a distinct but mild flavour – it’s clear when you have something pistachio flavoured but it’s not a super strong profile. It’s got a quiet confidence to it, and is a bit of a wallflower but once you recognize it, you understand the hype. It’s why I find it’s one of those flavours that’s a bit hard to emulate. Maybe that’s why I prefer my pistachios salted. Ultimately it’s got that nutty flavour people enjoy about pistachio, and that’s what comes through despite the odds.
The size aside, I quite like these. While they differ from the usual expected crunchy experience, this seems like an interesting take on a somewhat more mature flavour. I would get these again, but probably in pairs.
